FIELD CROPS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 54, 19 March 1937, Page 9

FIELD CROPS

Mangel and Potato Classes at Show JUDGE'S COMMENT Eeporting 115011 the field exhibits, ontr, acre of potatoesand half an acre oi mangels, at the Hawke's Bay A. and P. Societiy's Autumn Show, the instructor in agriculture, Mr J. W. Palmer, states; MANGELS Mangels, generally, have been quite good, although crops have only recently made good growth, probably due to the eold and wet summer months. All crops are still growing lyell apd the yields still improve. The crops generally have been well cared for, free of weeds and well cultivated, especially when one take into consideration the wet season experienced during the early growing stage. The winning crop, that of Mr A. Struthers, Claremont, Hastings, was of the Giant Orange Clo,be variety, and weighed 100 tons 17cwt. per acre. The second crop of Prizewinner Yellow Globe, was that of McCutcheon Bros., Fernhill, and weighed 80 tons per acre. It was pleasing to record the crop of Mr M. Connor, Omapere, with a yield of 44 tons 17 cwt. Although this. was . light' in yield, it is a remarkable one i considering the class of land on which the crop has been grown. When one, 1 knows the lightness of the soil and the I locality, the crop is worthy of considI eration from the point of view of winI ter feeding for hoggets. No doubt the ! full use 0$ such a crop has been realised , by Mr Connor. POTATOES One might say that the season experienced has been a good one for potato crops. The three crops jbdged were particularly free from disease and the quality of tubers was really good. In one or two instances where'potatoes wero exposed, the mbth has been detrimental to the tubers.; ' The winning crop of Mr G. W. Thow, Karamu, brought a yield of 12 tons 11 cwt. per acre, and it was an exeeptionally good one. It is interesting to record the crop of McCutcheon Bros., where fresb South Island potato seed was planted and was sactually suporior to the seed (certified) once grown. The variation between the two classes of seed on the same class of country was in the vicinity of 2 tons 5 cwt. per acre. With regard to Mr H. L. Brown 's potato crop, a portion had received a light topdressing of fowl-man-ure. Here the, crop varied to the extent of 7 tons 18 cwt. The winning crop of Mr 6. W. Thow was .grown on new ground and it received no manure, but ,if manure had been used, the re--sults, no -doubt, would have been much highe*. DETAILED BEStJLTS The detailed results are as follow: — • Half-acre of Mangels .... ' .'V ■ -v A. Struthers: Weight, 1 pt. per ton, 100.0.0; quality (10) 9,; cultivation (10) 8i; total 671. McCutCheon Bros.: 80.0.0, 9, 8§; total 571. F. Apperley: 75.15.0, 9, 9; total 55f. C. O. J. Anderson: 71.3.0, 8$/ 9) total 53. H. R, Clark: 66.2.0, 8, 81; total 491. McCutcheon Bros.: 64.1.0, 9, 81; total 491. • 1 : M. C. Connor: 44.17.0; 71, 7; total 36|. One-acxe Potatoea . C. W. THow: 22.11.0, 9, 8§; total 28f. ' McCutcheon Bros: 20.0.0, 9, 8; total 27. L, H. Drown: 17.5.0, .81, 81; total 251.